Frank & Sherry White wrote:
>
> Hello all...
>
> Some of you may recall a post several weeks ago from someone who had
> purchased a Spitfire in Phoenix, AZ, but lived in Kansas. Thanks to the
> responses from the list, I was able to get the car here with only one minor
> (story for another day) incident. Its now unloaded in my driveway and the
> motor is scattered around the floor on the garage. For the first few days,
> all I did was wander into the garage, look at the pile of parts, then return
> to the house to ponder life in a mental institution. Since then, I have
> made quite a lot of headway cataloging and inventorying parts and feel much
> better about the project. Thanks to the Wichita (KS) British Car Club, who
> had a show in McPherson last weekend. Seeing a bunch of assembled LBCs got
> me started.
>
> The motor should be ready to go to the machine shop in a week or two. I do
> have a few questions before hauling the whole mess in. The machine shop is
> going to clean the parts (lots of surface rust, parts had been on the boot
> and rain), verify that the block is the correct bore for .040 pistons and
> rings, enlarge old galleys, verify measurements and balance everything. I
> received the motor in pieces, along with many new parts. There is a set of
> .010 main bearings among the new stuff. The crankshaft does not appear to
> have been machined. It has been recommended that I install MGB main
> bearings rather than Spitfire bearings, because the MGB bearings will
> provide a greater surface area, fewer troubles, etc. My plan is to order a
> set of .010 MGB bearings and take them to the machine shop so that they can
> measure the actual part that will be used. Would anyone use a different
> approach?
I don't know about the "greater surface area" approach. Although
theoretically, the greater area would be more reliable, it would also
create more friction which robs power. And as we all know, Spitfires
are not the most powerful motors in the best of conditions. This is why
many racers prefer the early 1296 engines over the MkIV version. The
later 1296 engines use larger main bearings which cause more drag.
>
> I also have three thrust washer sets, one standard, one .005 and one .015,
> presumably to judge which one is the best to use during assembly, or should
> this be addressed by the machine shop?
You can do this yourself. There is a procedure in the Haynes manual.
But if you are going to otherwise have the block and crank in a machine
shop, you may as well let them measure it. Probably won't cost any
extra.
Good luck on your restoration! More than half the fun of doing a
restoration is the pride you will get from having done it yourself.
Regards,
Joe Curry
--
"If you can't excel with talent, triumph with effort."
-- Dave Weinbaum in National Enquirer
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